Walkies
by Madame Cyanure
Summary: Ianto turns up to work to find Jack in a compromising situation, which soon gets out of hand. Set in the void between Exit Wounds and CoE. Janto to be expected. x
1. Morning, Mr Jones

**Welcome to my first attempt at a multichaptered fic. It's not brilliant, I'll admit, but the plot smacked me in the face whilst I was doing coursework and I couldn't resist. Whether I write any more for this story depends entirely on the opinions of you guys. So please read and review. :) x**

**SPOILERS: Set post-Exit Wounds so some for Series 2, also after Journey's End so spoilers for that too. I regret nothing and you have been warned. **

**DISCLAIMER: This bit annoys me but I will never own any part of Torchwood, because its RTD's baby to create and destroy as he pleases. If Torchwood belonged to me there would have been a lot more Janto action. And i would join in. ;) **

Chapter 1: Morning, Mr Jones

Ianto Jones slowly and reluctantly roused himself from sleep, glancing fuzzily at the alarm clock as he did so. Seven thirty in the morning. It was positively a lay-in, by Torchwood standards. With a muffled groan he sank back into the pillow and his eyes travelled down to the space next to him. Empty, for once. He felt a pang of guilt for leaving Jack alone in the Hub last night but Jack had insisted that he go home to rest; the three of them had been stretched and overworked since the incident with Owen and Tosh, and, he thought with a smirk, lets face it, being lover to Jack Harkness was exhausting in itself. Hence the reason he was occupying his own bed.

With the realisation that he'd better go to work before Jack got too restless (and only slightly embarrassed to admit that he missed his boss's insatiable libido), Ianto swung out of bed and sloped over to the mirror that was in the corner noticeably sparse bedroom. His reflection revealed a side of Ianto Jones that would shock anyone who knew him personally, except Jack. Hair tousled so that it stuck up on one side, the shadow of stubble underneath his chin, a slightly brain-dead look about him, and body language which translated into '_its- too- early- for-me-to- be -happy -so–stop- smiling_' – morning-Ianto was not a suitable face for polite society, and so he worked tirelessly to correct the zombie. Forty-five minutes later, breakfasted, showered, and dressed in the suit that tended to make Jake salivate, he was ready to leave the flat, complete with his lunch in a Tupperware box. As soon as his front door was closed, Ianto Jones locked away normality and prepped himself for yet another day of harassment coupled with alien madness.

And so Ianto began his daily pilgrimage to the Bay. Although it would have been faster to go by car, he walked along the Cardiff streets (the nice ones, not the dingy and dark alleyways which his job forced him to frequent at night) and revelled in the clarity the commute provided his thoughts with, happy to completely randomise them. His flat wasn't admittedly in the nicest part of the city, but it was still a damned sight better than his old Newport estate, not that he'd ever mention it to Rhi; Ianto's sister was a lot prouder of their roots than he was, having stayed while he scarpered off to London for the supposedly high-life. As he moved into the city centre, he passed the giant John Lewis and smiled. Now _that_ was a fun weevil hunt. It had been just him and Jack causing havoc in the middle of the night; they had tried to clean up after, but then Jack had got distracted in the lingerie section and, well, one thing led to another. Storing the memory in a special compartment of his brain, Ianto noticed he was about ten minutes away from work. He paused for a second to squint at his reflection in the window of someone's Porsche. The image was distorted, but he still looked impeccable. And he wouldn't have it any other way. Jack would though. Jack saw it as his job to make Ianto messy. Either that or strip him naked, Ianto snorted to himself.

Precisely ten minutes later he was in the Tourist Information Office door and heading down to the Hub. Trudging down the last of twelve flights of stairs, he made a note to force Jack to install another lift before passing through the security scanners. In the short delay before the giant cogwheel door opened he remembered that he still hadn't fixed the klaxon that was supposed to go off with its opening. Bloody dalek.

When the door did open however, he saw that the klaxon was the least of his problems. In fact, he just wanted the door to close again, if not just to hide behind. The Hub was an _absolute tip_. There was all manner of paperwork on the floor – stuff that had been previously organised in a precise fashion, he mentally hastened to add – smashed coffee mugs with their contents spilled carelessly on everything in reach, and a broken computer screen. He could never fix that, not without Toshiko. It made Ianto feel sick, starting something within him that Owen used to call his 'Princess Mode'. Ianto saw red.

'JACK HARKNESS' He yelled, fury emanating from his every pore, 'GET YOUR SORRY BACKSIDE OUT HERE NOW!'

He was greeted with silence. A worrying silence.

'Come on, Jack, I know you're here. Hiding will not help your cause, trust me.' Ianto was calmer now, but he kept his voice low and dangerous because he knew it would scare Jack.

Still no reply. Jack was never this sheepish. Ianto started panicking, six million questions racing through his head. 'Who broke in? Is Jack ok? How did they get it? Is Jack dead? Do I call Gwen? Can Jack come back this time? What species hates us now? Where the _hell_ is Jack?'

In his nervous wanderings he'd pretty much covered most of the main Hub, and whoever had been here was long gone as far as he could tell. _Or hiding_ he thought. Slowly, Ianto moved to investigate Jack's office; he knew every nook and cranny of this place and he was going to be damned if he couldn't find the intruder. It was why he always won naked hide and seek.

Removing his gun from its holster, he sprung into the office, sweeping the room as he did so. Nothing so far. Then he looked down.

Jack's clothes were crumpled in an untidy heap at Ianto's feet; belt, braces, greatcoat, the lot. _Oh no you didn't Harkness _Ianto thought, storming over to Jack's manhole with intentions of berating him until Ianto received a very sincere apology, complete with begging for forgiveness. He was just about to rip open the cover that concealed Jack's love nest when he heard a small and pathetic whimper coming from the mound of clothing behind him.

Turning, Ianto saw a small cocker spaniel emerge from beneath Jack's undershirt. A puppy, in fact. It was looking slightly scared, but also a little curious at the same time, which was something which Ianto couldn't help but love. Gingerly, he picked the puppy up, at the same time wondering how a dog managed to bypass the security systems and trying not to think who else may have got in if that was the case.

Ianto lifted the puppy up higher, towards the light, taking in its features to see if there was anything unusual about it. Nope; small and brown with floppy ears, it, or rather _he_, was definitely dog-like. Although its eyes were very interesting, if not familiar. They were a cold grey-blue, like the North Sea, like…

Suddenly, his head started to hurt; it was like someone was scrabbling around in there, trying to find a something to hold on to. The dog, it seemed, was capable of telepathy. He nearly dropped it through shock.

'_Ianto! Finally someone who actually bothered to come in today!'_

Ianto looked at the dog again. Suddenly he knew whose eyes those were.

'Jack!' he whispered in surprise.

'_Hey there, handsome.'_

Ianto looked around the office and then back at the cocker spaniel. And again. Realisation dawned upon him; his thoughts were best summed up in one word.

'Fuck.'

**Let me know if you want me to continue. Reviews are much appreciated, good or bad. MC. x**


	2. Reviewing The Situation

**Ok, people. Because of demand I give you... chapter 2! Seriously though, your reviews have been incredibly helpful and even given me some great ideas so thank you so much. This chapter is mainly filler but I had to introduce Gwen at some point and this seemed the best way to do it, even though she really annoys me (you might guess that from this chapter). I wrote it this morning on the bus to work so, considering that, it's ok. Anyway, read and review s'il vous plait. :) x**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Torchwood blah blah etc. This makes me very sad. x**

Chapter 2: Reviewing The Situation

'_Now, now, Mr Jones. Language.' _Jack's vaguely American drawl resounded in Ianto's head.

'You're a dog?' The question came out as a fact.

'_Hey! That's not nice! Frankly, I think I look adorable.' _Ianto noted the smile in the voice. Yep, this was definitely Jack Harkness.

'A _telepathic_ dog?' It sounded even more absurd when spoken aloud. God, Ianto thought, I'm going mad.

'_I know, right. It's absolutely _barking_.'_

Ok then, so maybe he wasn't. Jack's tail began to wag; he was evidently feeling pleased with himself. Typical.

'But how?' Ianto tried to inject some professionalism into the words and failed dismally. All that he cared about in the world was now about a foot high and had a tail, which was currently wind-milling around so fast that Ianto wouldn't have been surprised if its owner started flying around like a furry helicopter.

Jack's tail quickly stopped moving however, and his voice grew serious. _'No idea. I just woke up on the floor this morning with a slight headache and paws. Went out to find that mirror which Gwen keeps at her workstation – sorry about the mugs, by the way – and I panicked. I've got no memory of last night whatsoever and the Hub has been train wrecked again, so all in all it's not looking too good.' _Jack's eyes grew sad; he wasn't used to being this helpless. _'Still,'_ He added on a lighter note, _'I've had worse hangovers.'_

Ianto's mouth formed a sad smile; he knew he should have stayed last night. He hated seeing his lover in this state. Not the dog, the dog seemed fairly normal for Torchwood; Ianto would have been more surprised to find Jack green with one eye, but at least as a puppy he seemed more manageable than his human self. But it was Jack's state of hopeless dejection, laced with the quips and bravado, which hurt Ianto the most. The hero that would say boo to a goose even if it didn't always help and the passionate lover who seemed to be constantly in heat, that was his Jack. Not this pathetic little figure which Ianto was holding. Everything seemed wrong. He pulled Jack in close for a hug, burying himself in the fluffiness of the puppy's head; there was a small yelp.

'_Ianto! You're crushing me!'_

Ianto sniffed and wiped his eyes, setting Jack down as he did so.

'Sorry, Jack.' He replied, although part of him wasn't.

It was at this point in Ianto's mini breakdown that the cogwheel rolled back and Gwen Cooper entered the Hub.

'So, let me get this straight,' Gwen mused, 'That's Jack.' She pointed to the section of the Boardroom table where Jack lay, just daring Ianto to shoo him off.

'_Hi there.'_

'And Jack's a cocker spaniel puppy.' She finished.

Keep up girl, Ianto thought sarcastically. When Gwen had waltzed into the hub, late as usual (and expecting to get away with it, also as per usual), she was all gap-toothed smiles and leather. Then Ianto had reintroduced her to Jack, and now she just looked befuddled.

'Yes.' Ianto kept his voice level, hiding the annoyance.

'But how?'

Christ, Ianto groaned inwardly, I'm getting déjà vu. He continued.

'We're in the dark, if I'm honest. I've run every scan possible, but I'm not Tosh so what I've worked out is pretty limited. He's got no memory of last night and, as far as I can tell, he's all dog. Albeit a telepathic one.' Ianto paused for a second. 'It's like he's Jean Grey without the telekinesis.'

'And fur instead of boobs.' Gwen added.

'Also, you can block him out if he's being too nosy and he hopefully doesn't turn evil after a couple of movies.'

'So, not very much like Jean Grey then.' Gwen finished.

'_Hey, I am still here y'know.'_ Jack whined.

'Who could forget?' Ianto retorted, suppressing a grin, but only because Jack looked genuinely hurt. Ianto would make it up to him later, when they managed to return Jack back to his normalish self; for now he just contented himself with scratching Jack's ear, although Ianto wasn't entirely sure that it was appreciated all that much.

'Anyway,' Gwen raised her voice. Having decided where to shove her confusion, she resorted to being businesslike instead. 'Let's get our priorities straight. Ianto you clean up the mess in the main Hub and check the Archives – see if anything like this has happened before and if we need to be worried about security. I'll go through the CCTV footage to see if there is anything on Jack.' She then made to exit the Boardroom.

She's jumping back into the seat of power again, Ianto sulked with more than a little venom. Gwen always took control when Jack was out of action; it wasn't in her job description (Ianto had checked), but she just did. He then remembered something far more pressing which cut his internal rant abruptly short.

'Gwen!' he called so that she pivoted around, 'Don't look at the footage of Jack's office from around six-fifteen last night. It's for your own safety, trust me.'

She nodded. Ianto had long ago sussed out how Gwen felt about their boss (not that he was _jealous_ or anything because she'd pledged herself to Rhys, and Jack to him, for the time being), which was one of the reasons – save his own embarrassment – that he did not want her to bear witness to his and Jack's parting quickie. Jack, however, had other ideas.

'_Aw, come on Ianto. A little master class never hurt anyone. I could do tutorials on Youtube.'_

Ianto sighed. Even as a dog, Jack still had the patented Harkness grin, and it was oddly still as effective if Gwen's reaction was anything to go by. She laughed, before saying something which left Ianto feeling quite abashed.

'I'm sure you could, Jack. Although, from what I caught last time, Ianto would be a better demonstrator.' Gwen left the room to a stunned silence.

Not wanting to give Jack the opportunity to prolong an already awkward situation, Ianto got up and started heading to the Archives. There was a bark from behind him and he froze.

'_And what about me?'_ Jack bounded down from the table and began padding towards Ianto.

'Jack,' Ianto deadpanned without turning, 'Heel.'

Ianto then swiftly exited into the tunnel, and was followed by a thoroughly annoyed but definitely not subdued Jack. This was going to be interesting.

**Review, pretty please. MC. x**


	3. Trouble Unleashed

**Right, here's chapter 3, thanks to your brilliant response to the last two. It's the last one I'm able to post for this fic for at least a week, but things start to kick off in this chapter so I hope that makes up for it. Enjoy and review. :)**

**DISCLAIMERY BIT: I don't own Torchwood or the characters sadly, but I do like to think that I own the giant poster of Jack in my room. Especially as he looks so gorgeous.**

Chapter 3: Trouble Unleashed

Deep in the belly of the Archives, Ianto was swiftly losing his patience. Things had been initially going well and Jack had been surprisingly helpful; picking up things, and pushing them into untidy piles with his tail, allowing Ianto to delve into Archive C for Classified unhindered. That was twenty minutes ago. Now Jack was bouncing around all over the place like a furry pogo stick. Apparently, spaniels had a short attention span.

'Jack! Put that down! You know the damage that it's capable of!'

Jack had snatched up the item that Ianto had put down only seconds before; a Vivoxian detonation stick. Except that the perception filter was active, meaning that to Jack it resembled a large squeaky toy. So, an explosion that could obliterate half of Europe currently resided in Jack's mouth. One of the most powerful weapons in the Universe was now being gnawed upon. Ianto made to grab it back, engaging in a tug of war with Jack.

'Let. Go.' He puffed; Jack was a strong and healthy puppy, which was amazing considering the junk he ate when he was human.

'_This is fun! Look, Ianto, we're bonding!'_ Jack growled playfully.

'I don't bloody care! Do you want to kill half the world, never mind yourself?'

'_Makes no difference to me. I'm impossible, remember.'_ If dogs could wink, Jack would have done. He ran further into the Archive's, still with his squeaky-time-bomb, Ianto chasing him all the way.

'Actually,' Ianto stopped, trying to get Jack out into the open. 'You might not be, as a dog. Although I could test it for you.'

'_Ianto Jones! You wouldn't shoot a puppy!'_

'I wasn't suggesting that.'

'_What then?'_ Jack darted behind a chair. Ianto began closing in.

'I could lock you in with Janet. You'd make a tasty snack.' If Jack wasn't mortified before, he was now.

'_Really?' _Jack cocked his head.

'Really.'

Jack weighed up his chances with the weevil. They didn't look too good, so he pushed the detonation stick towards Ianto with his nose. As Ianto crouched down to pick it up, Jack tackled him, knocking him to the floor with a thump.

'Jack!' Ianto moaned. Even as small as he was, Jack was still attempting to get the upper hand.

Ianto looked down at the mass of brown Harkness-dog in his lap; Jack was nuzzling Ianto's stomach affectionately. In Ianto's brain something clicked.

'I know what you're thinking, Jack, and the answer is no.'

'_Awww. Why not?' _Jack whimpered, quite literally giving Ianto puppy-dog eyes.

'Firstly, because it's wrong.'

'_That hasn't stopped us before.'_

'Secondly, I believe that there are laws against it.'

'_Again, my point still stands.'_

'And finally, it would give the phrase 'doggie-style' a new meaning that I don't even want to contemplate, let alone explore.'

'_Being a dog isn't so much fun around you anymore. Can I find some bitches to chat up instead?'_ Jack tugged at Ianto's tie, knowing that this, along with the comment, would rile him.

'Right, that's it!' Ianto said sharply. He snatched Jack up and got to his feet.

'_Hey! Where are we going?'_

Ianto stayed silent, ignoring him. As he walked towards the door, Jack squirming all the way, he glanced back. That was odd; a file that he had placed on the desk moments before had vanished. Ianto hoped it had just been swept aside in Jack's havoc wreaking because it was impossible to find anything down here, and he had a feeling that it might have been important. It bothered him slightly, but he'd have to look for it later; his priority now was to remove Jack from his inner sanctum, for both their sakes.

Back up in the main Hub, Gwen rubbed her eyes. She'd spent what seemed like hours trawling through footage of the Hub, Bay and surrounding area to no avail. She'd even been tempted to look at Ianto's forbidden CCTV fruit, just to break up the monotony. But Gwen then remembered that her eyes were still burning from last time she'd caught them. And so it was back to trying not to fall asleep whilst staring at one frame per second. It eventually occurred to her that she hadn't checked rift activity yet.

Cursing herself for being so stupid, she switched screens. At first, there was nothing; the graph seemed flat, indicating a lack of activity. No joy here, Ms Cooper, she sighed. But, hang on. Gwen zoomed in, focusing at around 0.5 seconds to midnight. A miniscule bump in the graph, quickly followed by an equally tiny negative spike. Finally, she had something to grab hold of. But what had happened in that short space of time, Gwen wondered. Her reverie was interrupted by Ianto's resurfacing from the tunnel that led to the Archives.

'_Ianto! Let go of me!'_ Jack wriggled, trying to escape Ianto's clutches. Ianto repositioned him and turned to face Gwen.

'How's it coming along up here?' he asked.

'Nothing yet on the cameras.' She replied. 'But there was a blip in rift activity, so I'm going to dig deeper.' Gwen wasn't completely lying; she was interested but, clueless as she was, she was going online to shop for anniversary presents first.

'Ok. Well give me a buzz if you find anything.' Ianto was now ascending to the surface via the invisible lift.

'Where are you going?' Gwen called up after him.

'The park.' came Ianto's muffled reply.

'There you go, Jack. Freedom.' Ianto unclipped Jack from the leash he had bought for him; Jack had escaped twice and carrying him was just not practical.

'_Now _that _was unfair. And unnecessary.'_ Jack eyed the sparkly pink restraint with distaste.

'With your reputation, I think it was.' Ianto smirked. 'Now, fly around to your hearts content while I still think you're cute.'

'_Ok, but only because I need to pee.'_ With that, Jack shot off, sniffing a poodle before vanishing behind a tree.

Ianto sighed and breathed in the freshness of Bute Park. It was one of the only areas of the city where the air was pure, untainted by chemicals and whatever else Cardiff spewed out every day. Buzzing with the life of half-term, it made Ianto feel special; he could watch everyone else get on with their lives, because Torchwood protected them from the threats that surrounded the city. And most of them went unnoticed.

There was a cacophony of yapping and Ianto looked up. Jack had apparently got into an argument with an Alsatian, and was growling far too loudly for a dog of his size. Well, that was just brilliant. Ianto sighed again before wandering over to the scene; he was aiming to sort things out before Jack got squashed.

Gwen replayed the midnight footage of the Hub. It showed Jack wandering around, throwing the telepathic knives from the weapons room at respective targets, before stopping as though he was listening to something. Then there was a brief period of nothingness before a frame showing Jack collapsed on the floor.

She tried again, this time from all angles in order to piece together a three-sixty degree sweep. Then Gwen noticed something flitting in and out of the frame as the recording resumed playing. An alert icon flared up on her screen indicating a video message. She clicked on it.

'Shit.' She exclaimed, grabbing her phone to call Ianto.

Ianto stormed out of the park, Jack sauntering in his wake looking every inch like the guilty puppy that he was.

'For the last time, Jack; puppies don't pick fights with fully grown Alsatian males.' Ianto fumed.

'_He dissed me!'_ Jack yapped.

'I don't care. The owner could have floored me if he'd wanted to and….' Ianto stopped to answer his buzzing phone. 'Hi, Gwen. No, we're fine. Why? Oh great. We'll be there in fifteen minutes.' He snapped the phone shut and looked down at Jack, his eyes full of disgust.

'_What's up?'_

'_He's_ back.' Ianto replied simply. He then broke into a run.

**Reviews make me feel fuzzy inside. MC. x**


	4. Lost Angels And Clever Wrist Straps

**A little midweek present that I worked on when I was supposed to be doing assignments - Chapter 4! This one isn't as funny or Janto orientated as previous chapters but essential to the plot so forgive me; it will be business as usual a bit later on. Read, review, and be happy. :)**

**DISCLAIMER: Torchwood isn't mine, I just know a lot about it. If it was, I would write a Janto & MC threesome into the plot, but RTD hasn't been kind enough to do that yet. ;) x**

Lost Angels And Clever Wrist Straps

Ianto raced across the Plass and into the Hub, followed by a heavily panting Jack. If _he_ was back they were in trouble. Oh crap, he panicked, why wouldn't the shit leave them alone?

'_Ianto! Slow down! I've only got short legs! And what do you mean, he's back?'_ Jack came tearing behind him, desperately trying to keep up and failing dismally. Ianto ignored him and was past the cogwheel door before it was fully open. He didn't speak until Gwen looked up.

'Have you watched it?' he shot at her. Gwen shook her head.

'No, I phoned you as soon as I saw who it was. I thought we should all see it, together.' Truthfully, though, she had watched some of it; she just didn't understand what it meant, other than trouble. Like hell she was going to admit that to Ianto.

Had it been any other situation Ianto would have rolled his eyes, but he was so agitated that Gwen's incompetence almost went unnoticed. Almost. Hearing the door open again, he looked over his shoulder to find Jack plodding into the Hub, collapsing at Ianto's feet from sheer exhaustion.

'_Never. Again.' _He breathed before sitting up, _'Now will somebody tell me what's going on?'_

'Play it, Gwen.' Ianto's voice was devoid of emotion, yet still managed to convey hate. Gwen did as he asked, and the blue screen was replaced by a video recording.

'Hello, my sexy little darlings!'

Jack's ears pricked up at the agonisingly familiar voice. In one fluid motion, he had jumped onto Gwen's lap and placed his paws on the desk to view the arrogantly leering face which represented the smugly psychotic persona that was 'Captain John Hart'. He let out a low growl, which in Ianto's head translated into a word that was very un-Jacklike but suited John Hart perfectly. The recording continued.

'Well, Jack, aren't you as cute as a button? Not that you weren't before but, frankly, this is an improvement. All little old me – you can thank me later EyeCandy.' John winked, making Ianto's skin crawl, 'You remember one of these Jack?' He held up a small orb so that it was in the camera's view; it shimmered, full of silver viscosity.

'_A shilotransducer. That's not good.'_

'This baby needed a crash test and makes things a whole lot spicier for EyeCandy; again, you really owe me one. Considering that your no fun to kill anymore, being all I-can't-die-no-really-I-can't and that, this was a fabulous idea to get you out of the way, don't you think Jack? Anyway, if you're getting the pleasure of this, I've got what I needed from the Palace Under the Pavement and will be getting as far away from this arse-end of the Universe as possible, specifically Cardiff. See, since the whole Gray business I've met some very interesting people, and one of them knows all about you and your pathetically screwed up team. And he's told me some very interesting pieces of gossip which got me thinking; why do you stay here Jack, after all of that? Why are you obsessed with these people when you should be thinking about me? And he agreed how pitiful it was, so we came to an arrangement.' Hart left a dramatic pause, soaking up every bit of the attention that he knew he was getting, not remotely aware of the extent to which he was despised, as Jack, Gwen and Ianto waited in an uncomfortable silence. His voice grew disturbingly cold. 'If I can't have Jack, then no one on this filthy planet can; especially EyeCandy. You will watch your world will burn, Jack, as a new age approaches.' John looked alarmed, as though he could hear something in the background, and then readdressed the camera coolly. 'Oh, and check your files; you might have something missing.' The message cut out, leaving the team uncertain.

Ianto remembered the file that he thought he had misplaced earlier and realised that he hadn't lost it at all; it had been stolen. John must have been in the Archives whilst Ianto had been wrestling with Jack, slipping it away with the stealth of a ninja. The file's contents made Ianto feel physically sick; Hart had to choose that particular file over so many others, when its contents were indescribably horrific. If Ianto didn't already loathe all that Captain John Hart resembled with every cell of his being, he would certainly hate him now by principle. If Hart had that file, then their future really was as uncertain as the video suggested.

'Operation: Angelus Nigra.' Ianto whispered, causing Jack to look up in horror. 'He's got Angelus Nigra!' An understanding passed between the two lovers, and it was one that completely bypassed Gwen. Her knowledge of what was kept in the Archives was severely limited.

'What's Angelus Nigra?' she asked, not entirely sure if she wanted an answer. It was Jack that replied first.

'_Operation: Dark Angel, or AN; it's a UNIT file that I confiscated after the Cell 114 incident, along with the nuclear deterrents. The file contains information on and the whereabouts of the parts salvaged from the old Archangel Network – what wasn't blown out of orbit after the fall of Saxon. It amounts to what could become an extremely volatile and dangerous paradox machine, if in the wrong hands.'_

'Which it now is.' Ianto added before Jack continued.

'_Except that it is far more deadly than just being a paradox. The laser transmitters could be used as a weapon if reworked and intensified. If switched on, they would literally cause all matter to burn from the inside, the damage slowly moving outwards until there is nothing left but screams. I've seen whole planets vanish in a similar way. Nothing can stop it.' _Jack trailed off, deep in thought.

'Shit.' Gwen gasped.

'Pretty much.' Ianto agreed.

'Can we stop it? I mean, this is just one man we are talking about, and we've dealt with him before.'

'_He's not working alone. He's got contacts who know about this sort of thing and if AN is running at full capacity there is no stopping it. The only advantage we've got is that, even with John's advanced technological knowledge, it will still take a couple of days to complete and charge.'_ Jack sighed; in Ianto's head the tone was one of complete dejection. Gwen, however, remained comparatively optimistic.

'Well then. That gives us a chance to put things right. Jack; what did you say that that ball thing was? The shilowhatsit?' Ianto had to admit that her readiness was slightly uplifting.

'_A shilotransducer. It basically, operates on the same level as an electrical transducer, except it alters DNA instead of energy forms. Trouble is, contact is needed with the same shilotransducer to restore the individual to normal. John's got the shilotransducer, so I'm stuck as the human's K-9 best friend.' _Something dawned upon Jack, preceding an idea. _'I'm a decoy! He's used me as a distraction in order to roam about the Hub undeterred! John is not getting away with this!'_

'Jack! There are more things at stake here than your injured pride.' Ianto reminded the sulky puppy sternly.

'_No! It's not just that! Ianto – can you get my wrist strap out of the office?'_ Ianto did as he asked; even as a dog, there was no arguing with Jack when he was in commander mode. _'Gwen – get everything else we've got on the system about AN up on the screen; I want to know every minute little flaw in those plans. Ianto! Can you give it too me? Thanks.'_ Ianto had returned with the Vortex Manipulator and Jack jumped down to receive it. He began to clumsily poke the buttons with his nose explaining as he did so; Ianto noticed that as a spaniel, Jack was much less closed off, which he supposed was a sort of a good thing, given the precarious situation that they were in. _'Right, well all Time Agency wrist straps transmit at the same wavelength so agents can locate one another – mainly in order to stay off each other's territory, coz things get nasty otherwise. It was how John found me before. If we can get my locator up and running – and I say we due to a lack of opposable thumbs – we can find him.'_ Jack's face displayed a satisfied grin. He had convinced himself that he could stop Hart, making up for the confidence which Ianto lacked.

'But he said he was long gone.' Gwen interjected.

'_Trust me, he won't be. There is nothing that John Hart likes more than gloating; with the exception of orgies, of course. Besides, the components for AN are on Earth, although he will need to work out where first. So, we find him because where he is so are both the shilotransducer and the Dark Angel plans, and I am sick of being this small. Ianto, you're on Manipulator duty. You've seen me use it enough and I'll help the best I can. Keep researching, Gwen; we don't stop until this is over! I'll work on the security breach.'_ With a bark, Jack turned and trotted off like a little show puppy.

Ianto moved to the other workstation, snatching up the wrist strap as he went. Gwen turned round and started typing furiously.

Jack observed his team from his office, small as it was, with unabashed pride; it was only slightly spoilt by the annoyance he felt as he scratched behind his ear with his back paw. He couldn't command as a dog no matter how hard he tried, but he would never show that to Gwen and Ianto, so he kept up his usual façade. The one that said 'I am Jack Harkness and I can do anything', although he expected that Ianto already knew to the contrary. He turned his attention back to the task at hand. _Ok Jack_, he thought; _what the hell happened last night?_

**Review, my darlings, Review. Mwhahaha! :) MC. x**


	5. Together, Yet Apart

**And here comes Chapter 5! Ok so its still angsty and mostly filler, but I promise you that its not that bad. I should be able to post a lot more this week, so this story should move along a bit (I'm hoping to finish the fic by the end of next week - I've got some great ideas for new ones, but I'm holding them in for a while until it's done). Anyway, I hope you like this edition and please review because you are incredibly helpful. x**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Torchwood. Or this month's Torchwood magazine, as a matter of fact; the newsagents appear to be holding my copy hostage, and I'm not happy about it. x**

Chapter 5: Together, Yet Apart

Jack closed his eyes and tried to remember. It felt like he was fumbling for a light switch in the dark. A really, really, small invisible light switch. He hadn't told the others, but his personal situation was a whole lot graver now that he knew what had changed him; if he wasn't reunited with the shilotransducer soon, the telepathy would fade and the change would become permanent. And that was notwithstanding the fact that the Earth could go up in flames any second. At least Ianto wouldn't have to deal with him for that long. He let out a long whimpering sigh and tried again. They really needed to find John, and fast.

Still nothing. He slid under his desk before making a dive for its surface. He missed completely, ending up in a little tangled heap on the floor. Jack tried again – if he could just get up there he might be able to find what he was looking for – and came crashing down along with the contents of half his draws. He yelped as a calculator fell on his head. _This is ridiculous;_ he groaned as he picked himself up again, _I hate being a walking furball_. He looked around to see what he'd knocked down in his vertically challenged defeat. _Aha._ He saw the pill box that he was looking for and ripped it open, revealing several pink capsules. _AntiRetcon_. He'd developed it after they'd resurrected Suzie, just in case she'd programmed anyone else to activate. Jack had never imagined using it on anyone, least of all, himself. He hoped that it would do the trick and restore his memory without any side effects. Separating a couple of capsules from the rest, he wolfed the AntiRetcon down and straightened up. Like Retcon, it would take at least an hour to come into affect.

Jack observed the mess that he had made of his office; the epitome of untidiness which he didn't particularly care about but knew Ianto would tidy later, before lecturing Jack on housekeeping. He smiled inside and set off in search of his house-proud Welshman. _Time to see how far we've got._

He romped out past the Autopsy Bay and round to Gwen's workstation. Jack saw that she was puzzling over about six different documents, spread across all three screens.

'_Hey, how's it going?'_ Jack enquired, _'Have you got anything for me yet?'_

'A bit.' She told him, he eyes not moving from the screen. 'There is nothing on our systems – I don't think we ever got round to making the AN plans electronic – but there are some very interesting things that I've lifted from the military, who were working alongside UNIT on this thing.'

'_Now that's just rude. A whole party and I wasn't invited. Good job I gatecrashed when I did.'_

Gwen zoomed in on one of the windows to bring up a map of Britain. 'I believe that this shows the possible locations of the components. They're scattered across most of Britain but seems to be a higher concentration in South East England. I think that's where Hart'll build it, if anywhere, because it seems easier to get the parts. If we can trace him to a specific location through a combination of this and your wrist strap, I'd say that we could stop him.'

Jack agreed. _'Good job, Gwen. Keep working on that and we'll go from there.'_ He spun around, his eyes roaming the Hub. Ianto was nowhere to be seen. _'Gwen?'_ Jack called back to her, '_Have you seen Ianto?'_ She nodded and mumbled something about the Tourist Office before returning to her work. Jack yapped a '_thank you' _and headed towards the door, contemplating the amount of steps that he would have to scrabble up; maybe he should get another lift. All this exercise was wearing him out.

Ianto lay back in the office chair that dominated half of the small, pokey Tourist Information Office with a weary sigh and his eyes closed. Jack's Vortex Manipulator was strewn and discarded amongst the various papers and leaflets on the desk in front of him. When Ianto opened his eyes, they were red-raw from crying.

He couldn't help Jack; he didn't know how to work this thing, in spite of what his lover had said. He had only got as far as revealing a massive space-date before giving up. To Ianto, the Manipulator was something that looked like a jumped up watch which only Jack understood. Hart was right, Ianto thought miserably, I am pathetic. He really had no idea why Jack had stayed; why he had declined both Hart and the Doctor just to come back to Cardiff. Jack never showed his feelings, so how would Ianto know. Ianto's depression deepened at this last reflection. It provoked deeper questions. Ones that hurt.

Did Ianto mean anything at all to Jack? Aside from all they had seen at Torchwood, he wasn't exclusive or exotic; neither special nor exciting. Ianto couldn't offer Jack the stars or a lifetime of adventure, but he could offer him his whole heart and would, given the chance. It was why Ianto subconsciously referred to Jack as his lover, but that was a grey area in itself. Did they even have a relationship to speak of? Was it just about the sex for Jack; a form of intimacy that the immortal craved, just to save himself from being completely alone? Ianto knew that Jack had feelings; he laughed when he found something funny, lashed out when he was angry, and shone when he was proud. But just what were his feelings towards Ianto? There were so many unspoken issues in their relationship, what with Jack being so deceptive; he never responded to Ianto's declarations of love, not once. Maybe Jack was better off with Hart. At least they had chemistry. At least Hart knew Jack. Ianto finally gave in and collapsed upon the desk with huge wracking sobs.

'_Ianto?'_ Jack cautiously poked his head round the concealed door which led from the Hub to the Office. He had sensed that something was wrong long before he had reached the top of the stairs.

Ianto quickly looked away, trying to correct his appearance before facing Jack. He didn't want to talk just now; he was better off being alone for the moment. But, considering that Jack was also his employer, Ianto made the effort to engage in polite conversation.

'Jack. How's the security breach?'

'_Nothing yet; I've taken AntiRetcon so we should have results soon. Gwen's triangulated a possible location for AN though.'_

'Right.' Ianto replied stiffly.

'_How's things with my wrist strap?' _Ianto picked Jack up so he could see. _'Not bad. You just need to press the middle button and it will start a reboot.'_ Ianto did as he was told, a high-pitched beep cutting through the awkward silence which existed between them, suggesting that it had worked. Neither man nor puppy spoke for several minutes.

'_Talk to me, Ianto.'_

'What about?' I could say the same thing to you, Ianto thought bitterly.

'_You know what about. I could smell that you were upset from downstairs. Tell me what's wrong.'_ The Jack realised, _'It's John isn't it?'_

'Why didn't you go with him when you had the chance? It's clear as day that you have feelings for him! What have you got to gain by staying with me?' The outburst fell tumbling out of his mouth before Ianto could stop it, taking Jack aback.

'_That was in the past.'_ Jack was more hurt than Ianto could have ever imagined. _'You're evaluating what we have, here and now, by the words of a jealous sociopath?'_

'Yes. Come to think of it, what do we have, Jack? Because I need to know where I stand.' Ianto was almost shouting now; he wouldn't be surprised if Gwen could hear him downstairs.

Jack breathed deeply; he'd known this would happen at some stage in their relationship, but hated it all the same. If he admitted the full extent of how he felt, his sheer devotion to Ianto, eternity would become an even greater struggle. Jack already dreaded the day that he would lose Ianto; falling in love with him would deepen an already gaping wound. Instead he settled for the dilute, edited version. He would tell Ianto the bare minimum of what he needed to hear and no more. It was best that way and, besides, Jack was already feeling drowsy from the AntiRetcon that he had taken. Jack steadied himself before explaining.

'_Ianto. Any of the remotest feelings that I have ever had for John Hart are about two thousand years in the past and will stay there.'_ Jack could tell that Ianto didn't believe him, so he continued. _'Our break-up was far too messy for anything at all to be rekindled on my side; he just doesn't want to be lonely in hell, and so tries to drag me back down with him. No matter what he says, that relationship is unredeemable.'_ Ianto was beginning to relent slightly; his posture was more relaxed. _'As for us; what we have doesn't need labels, Ianto. You're too special for that.' _Jack felt himself slipping out of consciousness, but attempted to force himself to stay awake; he needed things to be ok with Ianto first. _'I wouldn't change anything and I certainly won't run off again. If I ever do, you are coming with me. Monogamy isn't something that I am used to – hell, where I come from I'm positively well behaved – but I swear to you that I am making the effort. For us.'_ Jack fell silent and jumped down onto Ianto's lap working his newly acquired puppy dog eyes to maximum in search of forgiveness. He knew that he had found it when Ianto gave him a small smile, and he jumped up and licked his lover's face before settling in his lap.

Ianto was relieved; it wasn't quite the answer that he wanted, but it was more than he had anticipated, in a good way. However, there was one question that he really needed an answer to.

'Jack?' He whispered.

'_mmm.'_ Jack mumbled. Ianto could tell that the effects of the drug were taking their toll, but he still wanted to know.

'Do you love me?' It felt so good to say the words, yet Ianto was fearful of the reaction he would receive. He needn't have worried. Aside from a yawn, he got nothing.

Jack was curled up in a warm, vulnerable little ball, snoring and remembering in AntiRetcon filled dreams. They were unlikely to be good dreams. Ianto shifted into a more comfortable position and settled down to wait; he would try again another time. For now, at least he had got some sort of reassurance. Instead, he contented himself with stroking Jack's luscious brown fur, ready to calm him when he woke up from his nightmares. Jack twitched in his sleep.

**Review's are worshiped. Possibly a bit too much. MC. x**


	6. Bad Dreams And Even Worse Memories

**Here's the flashback chapter, and it's possibly one of my better ones. Thank you so much for the response to this fic by the way; I've only realised today how into it people are, and its quite overwhelming really. You guys are really awesome! Keep reading and reviewing and I'll keep writing! :)**

**DISCLAIMER: Torchwood needs to be owned by someone else other than Russell T Davies. I'm getting bored of writing his name so, from now on, Torchwood is owned by Captain Jack Harkness. I have a feeling that he would be nicer to the characters and fill the plot holes with innuendo and orgie filled explainations. Much more fun. x**

Chapter 6: Bad Dreams And Even Worse Memories

_Eight PM and Jack was on the roof of the Saint David's Hotel, his coat flapping soundlessly in the breeze. He gazed proudly out over the Bay; over the city that he had protected for the best part of one hundred and fifty years, and watching the gulls soar high above the clouds before cascading down to steal an unlucky passer-by's takeaway. The hum and buzz of Friday night rush hour drifted up to his vantage point like a strange alien lullaby in the music of the wind, edging its way through the silence in the clouds from the city in which extraterrestrial threat never slept. It was the closest thing to what Jack would call home in a very long time and he felt almost at peace._

_Jack had sent the others home early; reassuring Gwen that he would call if the Rift became remotely active, whilst practically threatening Ianto to get some rest for a change. Ianto had protested of course, but Jack knew how much pressure his lover had been under lately, taking on the duties of his dead colleagues on top of his own without a request or complaint; well, that just about summed Ianto up, Jack thought. His lover was a stickler for routine and, Jack supposed, it was Ianto's way of dealing with all that had happened. As for Jack himself, that was a subject that he didn't want, nor could afford, to go into; immortality was a curse, no matter what anyone else said. He turned to descend the stairs that would take him back to ground level, smirking at the dramatic swishing noise that his greatcoat made as he did so (now, that was style), preparing himself for a relatively quiet night alone. At least, quiet by Captain Jack Harkness's standards._

_In no time at all, Jack was back in the eerily silent Hub, thanks to several lifetimes' worth of bountiful knowledge of the shortcuts and rat-runs which existed within Cardiff. The journey had gone so fast that Jack would have suspected accidental teleportation, had the Doctor not short-circuited his Manipulator (again) upon their last meeting, essentially making that function void. He swept a glance around the Hub; his Hub, his base. There was nothing to be found but the drip, drip, drip of water at the base of the fountain and the occasional shrill beep of the Rift Predictor cutting into the stillness. And Jack's omnipresent ghosts, of course. He heaved a sigh and rubbed his eyes. No matter what he had told Ianto, Jack hated being alone at night, and he was definitely not fine about Ianto leaving him at the Hub for entirely selfish reasons. Well, Jack _had_ told him to go, hadn't he? _

_Eleven PM and Jack had pretty much exhausted his supply of things he actually wanted to do. First, he had left a paper trail of suggestive heart-shaped sticky notes in different places for Ianto to find, hoping to eventually lead him to Jack's bunker in order to carry out the various deeds, but Jack had ran out of sticky notes before he got there, so that didn't quite work. Then, he tried hiding all of Gwen's stationary before PhotoShopping animal heads onto all the wedding pictures that she had on her Torchwood account – thanks to the privileges of being the boss, he had unrestricted access – and starting to formulate the excuse that Rhys' mum looked like a bulldog anyway; it was either that or blame it on Janet. That took a while because Jack nearly broke the computer by downloading a lion for Gwen's face, but it killed a lot of time. Finally, he had started trying to work out how many times he had died, although he had lost count somewhere between the two world wars and decided that it was just plain morbid anyway. Now, Jack was in the middle of drawing a very crude and unflattering doodle of the Master and Bilis Manger being ravaged by wild dogs, contemplating the chances if himself even attempting to clear the mountain of paperwork which had been deposited on his desk over the last six months. He concluded that they were very slim indeed; Jack didn't have the energy for all the formal stuff. Maybe if I ask nicely, the paperwork fairy will do it for me? He considered calling Ianto now, just for the hell of it. No – Jack didn't want to seem desperate for either company or vanishing paperwork. He'd leave Ianto alone for tonight. As for tomorrow, Jack wouldn't let him go._

_Instead, Jack snatched up his doodle and went to the armoury. He grabbed some extra ammunition for his Webley Mark IV pistol along with the AI telepathic throwing knives from the section marked 'Restricted Access', before heading through the tunnel which led to the firing range. Once there he deposited his weapons on the table and went to find Ianto's much abused photocopier; when Jack came back, he secured copies of his doodle to every target that he could find. Now for the fun bit, he thought wryly, as he loaded up the pistol. Jack fired, the recoil sending happy rushes of adrenaline through his body, and the bullet found its target. Squarely in the head, but avoiding the dogs; nice. Jack knew that he shouldn't have been satisfied and that the Doctor would hate him for it if he ever found out, but it was hard to feel guilty when you had spent a year being tortured by one and effectively killed for three days by the other, so he kept firing. He ran out of bullets fast, and so made the transition to the knives. Again, they found their targets unhindered, remaining still and embedded in papery flesh and cardboard bones._

_Twelve PM. Jack stood back to admire his work. He hated to admit it, but he was impressed; the targets were now all wholly or partially mauled and disintegrated. It was a mark of Jack's skill and weapons training, constantly keeping his aim sharp in order to defeat the impossible. And, speaking of impossible, something wasn't right; Jack heard footsteps on the concrete floor, but they weren't Gwen's or Ianto's. Someone was in the Hub. No wait, the footsteps were in tandem, _people_ were in the Hub. Before Jack could grab his already useless Webley, the noise stopped; they were behind him. A familiar accent rang out._

'_Have you missed me Jack? Oh, I bet you've missed me!' Jack turned and felt mentally sickened, yet physically aroused, by the sight of John Hart in front of him. Then, Jack looked again and saw that Hart wasn't alone._

'_Good evening, Captain. I trust that you are recovered from our last encounter.' As Bilis Manger stepped out of the shadows, Jack's blood ran cold. Time to turn on the charm until he could find some spare bullets. _

'_Hey, guys! I heard you coming. You never could stay silent, could you John?' Jack flashed the Harkness grin to no avail. The two intruders simply stepped forward in unison, forcing Jack to move back to protect his personal space. Ok then, Jack resolved, let's drop the charm and get straight to the point. 'Why are you here?' he whispered in a low voice. 'How did you get in?'_

_John returned Jack's words with a slightly malicious grin. 'Jack, this is primitive technology, you could hardly call it security. Tut, tut.' He purred. 'EyeCandy won't be pleased about this, will he? He nearly cried when I broke his walkie-talkie last time.'_

'_As to our agenda,' Bilis continued. 'I think a mystery is in order.'_

'_The Palace has something that we need.' John smirked. 'And we are gonna get it.'_

_Jack gasped. 'You're working together.' It wasn't a question. Two of the most dangerously unhinged men in the Universe had become partners in crime. That was worrying in itself._

'_Quite right, Captain Harkness' Bilis replied simply. They had cornered Jack now so that there was no way out._

'_Oh. And Jack?' John Hart looked Jack Harkness in the eye before finishing, conveying a mixture of love and hate. He slowly withdrew an object from the inside of his Napoleonic jacket, tossing it in Jack's direction. 'Catch.' _

_Jack caught it just as he realised what it was; just as the pain ricocheted off of his every cell, worse than any bullet and rivalling the tortures on the Valiant. He screamed and fell to his knees, his vision clouding over temporarily as all he could see was red and agonising. He looked up at John, who appeared to be unusually impassive._

'_Don't worry, Jack. It's not like you'll remember any of this.' There was no hint of malice whatsoever, but John didn't mean it to be reassuring. 'Say hi to EyeCandy for me.' Hart's words drifted back over his shoulder as he swaggered off. Jack turned his attention back to Bilis, who was examining Jack's doodles._

'_Oh, how very droll.' Bilis remarked. 'As if one would ever be seen with the likes of him.' With that, he vanished._

_Jack pulled himself upright; he winced at even the smallest movement, tasting vomit in his mouth. He staggered down the corridor, desperate to get to his office. He needed Ianto. There was a phone in there. He needed to phone Ianto before he lost everything, before it slipped away; but what was Jack supposed to be remembering? The agony was enveloping him now – if he could just get inside, he was almost there – like fire and ice combined. Jack blacked out._

Jack woke with a start, surprised to find himself still seated upon Ianto's lap. He immediately jumped down, panicking slightly, and began pacing.

'Jack?' Ianto approached his lover cautiously, 'What's wrong? What happened?'

Jack spun round to face Ianto. Even for a dog his expression was of the utmost urgency, while his ears were alert and his tail poker-stiff. His anxiety terrified Ianto.

'_Ianto. Start the SUV. John's working with Bilis Manger. Now we really are in trouble.'_

**Reviews are like fairy dust - magical! MC. x**


	7. Welcome To StilettoLand

**Alright then - roadblock gone, Chapter 7 go! We've got more angst and tension to come, so I thought I'd give it a break for this one, and humour is back for a bit. It kinda scares me but my Torchwood dreams are getting kinda vivid now- for the last one I had to check that I was a girl and didn't have fangs when I woke up. I may have to write a fic about that one... Anyway, read this and I hope you enjoy the mid-angst culture clash! x**

**DISCLAIMER: Jack owns Hub, Hub is Torchwood's base, Jack is Ianto's bitch. Therefore I claim nothing. :)**

Welcome To StilettoLand 

Jack debriefed Gwen on the way down to the SUV. More or less the instant that Ianto had hurried out of the Tourist Information Office, Gwen had surfaced from the depths of the Hub and Jack's wrist strap had sounded a long, low whistle simultaneously. Both had told Jack the same thing; Operation Angelus Nigra was being prepared for detonation in the county of Essex, specifically an abandoned construction site in a place called Romford. The only problem was that it was six hours away from Cardiff, minus traffic, and a lot could happen in six hours. Especially with the combination of minds that Torchwood were now up against. Their latest information had more than trebled the danger that the planet was in, and it had caused Gwen to become near hysterical.

'So, you are now telling me that we are dealing with, not one, but _two_ psychos?' here voice was shaking, but she was determined not to be scared; Gwen Cooper _never_ got scared. 'One who most definitely has an agenda; the other doesn't care why he's doing this and so labels it 'revenge' for the hell of it?'

'_Yes.'_ Jack replied, wincing as her near-screeching tones reached his delicate spaniel ears. The SUV was in sight; he could tell what was coming and, if he reached it in time, maybe Ianto could back him up.

'Then why are we not getting help on this?'

'_We don't need help.'_

'My arse we don't, Jack!' You can easily fit into a purse with room to spare and AN's in frigging Essex!' She paused, calming down slightly. 'What about Martha?'

'_What about her?'_ Jack was indifferent.

'She could deal with it for us. She's closer.'

'_No. She has got enough to deal with.'_ Ah, the SUV, Jack thought; protection from Gwen the Control Freak. Finally somewhere he could hide – he was in no state to have this conversation.

'Besides,' Ianto piped up; Jack's saviour in a suit. 'Martha's still not talking to him from when he 'borrowed' the Oster-Hägen Key to use as a bargaining chip against UNIT.' He smirked; this little revelation both surprised Gwen and annoyed Jack. Perfect.

_Well, someone had to make sure that they got rid of it.'_

Ianto raised an eyebrow. 'What? By losing it in a game of strip poker? Martha would have done a better, not to mention classier, job.'

'_My way was more fun; she just hasn't realised that yet.'_ Jack was unabashed. _'Anyway, let's get on the road.'_ He padded around to the driver's door and stared up at the handle, feeling rather embarrassed. _'Um, gonna need some help here.'_

Ianto picked Jack up and promptly plopped him on the back seat. To Jack's whining, he answered, 'Dogs don't drive.' Before positioning himself behind the wheel. As Gwen got in the passenger seat, she craned her neck to view Jack with a questioning look. In fact, she was incredulous.

'You gambled with nukes?'

Both Jack and Ianto sighed. This was going to be one long journey.

About two hours later, the sun was setting. Jack, having found out how to work the SUV's electric windows with his paw, was hanging with his head lolling out of the window. The conversation was mainly dominated by Gwen's patriotic Welsh moaning.

'I mean, why did they have to stick the parts in bloody Essex anyway? Why not Newport? They are practically the same anyway.'

'I don't know Gwen.' Ianto replied wearily, having had the same conversation twice since already since they had left the Plass. 'We're not exactly popular with other organisations are we? It would make sense to stay away from Wales, just to keep us from finding anything.'

'Why not Scotland then?'

'Archie.'

Yorkshire? We've got no one there.'

'What is your problem with – Jack! Get back inside the SUV! You'll fall out!'

'_Why? I grow back.'_

'Because,' Ianto snapped. 'A puppy splattered across the carriageway will get us in trouble with the RSPCA, not to mention other drivers!'

'_Make me.'_ Jack was feeling smug as the wind flapped his long ears. Ianto couldn't catch him while he was driving.

'Alright then, I will.' Ianto knew what he had in mind would do the trick. 'When you're human again, I will refuse to play naked hide and seek with you ever again. Unless you get back in the car within five seconds. One…two…'

Jack yelped and jumped down before Ianto could reach two and a half. _'I'm down! I swear, I down!'_

Ianto smirked with satisfaction. 'Anyway, Gwen what's up with Essex? Apart from it being in England?'

'Everything.' She replied. 'It's full of tangerine coloured Barbie Doll's with platinum blonde hair, white six inch heels, and matching mini skirts which are small enough to be belts. At least ten kids per primary school are going to be pregnant before their twelfth birthday; there are chavs on street corners and drunken football supporters in every town. In short, Essex Boy equals yob; Essex girl equals tart.'

'Gwen!' Ianto reprimanded, 'That's just stereotyping. Essex can't be _that_ bad.'

'We are heading to a piece of wasteland in a town called Romford. I think I have reason to stereotype.' Gwen mumbled furiously. 'Besides, they all think we fuck sheep anyway, just because we are Welsh.'

Ianto laughed softly at this aside. 'No, that's just Jack. Probably to cover up the fact that he has done.'

'_Hey! That's not fair. I haven't had a sheep yet! Although there was this guy once….'_

TW 3 TW

Five hours into the journey and they were stuck in traffic on the M25 motorway. Ianto's patience was stretched to its limits.

_Ianto? Are we there yet?'_ Jack had returned to puppy mode, again.

'No.'

'_Are we there yet?'_

'No, Jack.' Ianto moaned in exasperation. Gwen was giggling beside him, adding to his annoyance.

'_Are we – .'_

'NO!'

'_Well we would be there if you phoned up the police to clear us a route. Or put the blue lights on. Or the jet engine.'_ Jack was pacing the back seat, having wriggled free from the seatbelt that Ianto had strapped him into on their last rest stop long ago. At the first sign of Ianto's teeth grinding together, Gwen took over the negotiations.

'Jack, we can't have an escort all the way from Cardiff because it will get us noticed.' She answered simply. 'And it won't help shift much of this traffic if we did. Rhys says this road is notorious.'

They passed a road sign with a small amount of relief. 'Welcome To Essex', Gwen thought; more like 'Welcome To StilettoAndTartLand'.

'_I don't care. Jack Harkness doesn't do traffic queues.' _Jack's pacing grew faster, before he became bored and started chasing his tail. He was enjoying himself until one of his claws became caught in the upholstery; a situation that he had to deal with.

RRRRRRRIPPP!

Ianto slammed the SUV's brakes on, ignoring the gestures and blaring horns of other drivers as he did so. When Ianto turned around, fury in his eyes, Jack actually shrank away in fear.

'Oh no, you didn't.' Then Ianto looked down to find a gaping hole in the leather seat. He sucked in a sharp breath. 'HARKNESS!'

'_Would it help if I said I was sorry?'_ Jack considered burying himself within the hole; Princess Ianto was a lot scarier when you were this small.

'DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG IT TAKES ME TO CLEAN THIS THING? I CAN'T TAKE IT INTO A GARAGE YOU KNOW! I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I HAVE TIME TO MEND THAT – LOOK AT THE SIZE OF IT! NO. SOD THAT. _YOU_ ARE MENDING IT! YOU'LL BE LUCKY IF I LET YOU ANYWHERE NEAR MY – !'

'Ianto, sweetie.' Gwen reminded him. 'Traffic. M25. Move.'

Ianto collapsed in his seat and put his foot on the gas, fuming quietly. For the rest of the journey there was sulking and silence. The spaniel had found Ianto's metaphorical dog house.

TW 3 TW

A short while later (although to Gwen it seemed an eternity; being caught in the crossfire of another couple's argument was just awkward) they pulled up at a dusty expanse of rubble and warehouses. Always the abandoned warehouses, Gwen thought sceptically. Why not somewhere nicer? Ianto shut his car door with a slam, gun already unholstered and sweeping the surrounding area, leaving Gwen to let Jack out. When she did, Jack was already waiting at the door and tumbled out with a thump and a plume of dust.

Ianto was tense. He was still mad with Jack, but it wasn't as if the action was too unforgivable. Ianto would just force his lover to appreciate the complexities of his job more. No, what was unforgivable was the plan unfolding at that very moment, with Ianto's two least favourite people at the helm. With Jack being practically useless until they got hold of the shilotransducer, it was just him and Gwen who could stop the activation. He jumped as Jack's thoughts entered his head.

'_Right. We've got no idea where AN is and this place is huge, so we're splitting up. I'll go left. Gwen, Ianto – you head right.'_ Jack began walking off, in determination that the others should do the same in the opposite direction, but Ianto stopped him.

'Jack. You're only just bigger than a rat and certainly can't fight like this.'

'_Yes I –.'_ Ianto cut him off.

'No you can't. Gwen, go with him. I'll be fine.'

She nodded in understanding, before dragging Jack off to the nearest warehouse.

'_Be careful Ianto.'_

Ianto stared at the backs of the Welshwoman and puppy that were currently his colleagues, before heading for the piles of scrap on his right. John Hart, he thought, I hope to hell you're not ready for what's coming to you. Bilis Manger, you're smart but you haven't seen anything yet. You won't ever underestimate me again, both of you. Because I am Ianto Jones; I am stronger, and I am Torchwood.

**Author's Note: Being of Essex blood and loving Wales, I am in no way prejudiced. It was just fun to play with stereotypes amid Jack's destruction of the SUV, so hopefully I'm doing the two areas a favour by clearing things up a bit. Trust me - not all Essex girls are like that and my Welsh mates tell me they are a sheep free zone. Well, most of them lol...**

**Reviews help Torchwood save the day! MC. x**


	8. Harkness And Demons

**Ok, I am so sorry its been absolutely ages since I last posted but my life has become amazingly and chaotically hectic at the moment, but here's Chapter 8. More angsty stuff and downward spiral but trust me things have to get worse before they get better. Read and review. :) x**

**DISCLAIMER: Torchwood is owned by Jack Harkness and he is controlled by Ianto Jones. Gwen Cooper is just the annoying whore in between. Glad we cleared that up. x**

Chapter 8: Harkness and Demons

Gwen kicked open the corroded and rusted iron door of Warehouse A. It landed on the floor with a resounding clang; an emblem of neglect in one of the most derelict she had ever had the misfortune to be in. It was a prime suspect for any evil or world threatening plan. Gun out; she did a full sweep of the location before entering, Jack trotting quickly behind her. Once inside she could make out that the place was a maze of rat-runs and shadows; perfect for hiding anyone or anything which didn't want to be seen.

'_Was that necessary? I think it was open.'_ Jack observed the door's resting place before scampering over it into the semi-darkness, the light just about outlining him so that Gwen knew not to shoot. His ears were pricked up at full alert, but Gwen could tell that Jack was enjoying himself somewhat more than usual. Personally, Gwen felt the same, although she was a little tense being as she was the only one out of the two of them who could handle a gun.

'Yeah, well it's not like _you_ ever knock. Someone had to do it in your absence.'

'_I like to make an entrance.'_ Jack was indignant. _'And I'm not absent, just indisposed.'_

'Seeing as you can't hold a gun, lack brute strength, and can only charm poodles at the rate you're going; I'd say you're a bit more than indisposed, Jack.'

Gwen smiled when Jack said nothing; he was sulking. Instead, Jack scampered ahead to see what he could find. He grumbled to himself as he did so; it was if his condition wasn't back enough without Gwen trying to fill the cynical hole that Owen had left with the nuclear meltdown – he would have to get new staff just to shut her up. Oh, great, Jack thought, I'm turning into Ianto; now that was really quite coupley and domestic, and it freaked Jack out just a bit. He reached a t-junction and stopped, calling out to Gwen. His high pitched yap bounced off the walls, an indication of the complexity of the warehouse.

'_Gwen. We are gonna have to split up. Make the shilotransducer a priority, and then I can help you deal with AN. Gwen?'_ No answer. Jack retraced his steps, hoping that Gwen had somehow managed to get lost, wishing that nothing worse had happened. _'Gwen?'_ he called again desperately, the fuzziness inside his head telling him that they had to get to the shilotransducer very soon, before Jack's human form was lost forever. Jack broke into a run, skidding round corner after corner until he found where Gwen lay, not ten metres from where Jack had last left her.

As Jack approached, he could sense that she was unconscious, and the tang of blood in the air indicated that it was from loss of blood, although Jack couldn't see where from. He pressed his snout against Gwen's mouth to see if she was breathing because there was no way Jack could even attempt to check her pulse; thankfully, she was. But Jack couldn't do anything about the blood loss because, even though he had some medical knowledge, he was not in any position to use it so it didn't help that he knew what to do. For one of the very few times in his life, Jack felt utterly helpless. He couldn't lose another of his team, but he would if something wasn't done very quickly to revive Gwen. He needed Ianto's help – _hell_, he just needed Ianto – but he couldn't get that because he couldn't activate Gwen's comms in the absence of his own. For the first time since he had woken up as a spaniel, Jack was _really_ desperate to be human. He just wanted to help. Even just to do something simple as well as lifesaving. Gwen was right; he thought bitterly, I am completely useless. I can't do this alone.

Jack dilemma was abruptly solved by a crisp, Queen's English accent which sent chills down his spine. Bilis Manger moved out of the shadows, crowbar in hand, like a malevolent phantom of destruction.

'Captain Harkness; once again delighted to make your acquaintance. Captain Hart was quite right – you would make a wonderful show dog.' The piercing black eyes would have caused anyone else to back up, but Jack defiantly stayed where he was, emitting a low growl. Bilis tutted condescendingly. 'Although one would have to condition that awfully disobedient personality of yours first, of course.'

_What the hell do you want with Dark Angel, Bilis?'_ Jack was in no position to be playing mind games, and he was not about to expose that as one of his weaknesses.

'Always so abrupt, Captain; but with your past, who would not be? My Lord has missed you.'

'_Abbadon was dealt with as was necessary. I don't care whether he was your master; he was a threat to the city. He is dead.'_

'As it would seem to Inferiors.'

'_He's dead. I should know. I was shot by my team to get him out and was comatose for three days after sending him back to Daddy Devil. Deal with it.'_ Jack was adamant, but still cautious.

'Oh, but I have, dear Captain.' Bilis leered at Jack, menacingly polite. 'Hence my bargain with your oafish counterpart. His technological skills will build one a working paradox; leaving him to dispose of you and your lover as his wishes. We have a mutual agreement not to disclose the finer details.' Bilis moved round to view Gwen, nudging her head with his foot. 'Awful harlot,' he spat. 'so unworthy of Abbadon's feast.'

_Leave…alone!'_ Jack flinched; telepathy actually hurt now. He was fading, the missing words filled with bolts of pain. They needed Ianto more than ever, but Jack didn't even want to contemplate what John was planning for him, praying that Ianto had found nothing and was coming to find him.

'Ah, I see Hart's plan has worked for a change. This will do wonders for your patience.' Bilis regarded Gwen again. 'Sadly, she has to live.' He touched her again and she disappeared.

'_Back! …Now!'_ Jack was becoming less coherent. _'Why?'_ he repeated, struggling for control.

'Abbadon exists for those who believe. Since My Lord's misfortune upon his release from the Rift, it has been his survival mechanism, yet it remains insufficient. The paradox machine which you so cruelly dubbed 'AN' will not only eliminate the non-believers, but also allow Him the freedom which he so rightly deserves.' Bilis' eyes were wide with manic glee; the kind of a man who was intelligently off-kilter and enjoying every moment of it.

'_Cult...destroy…everything.'_

'Oh yes, however, the beauty is that this paradox will be in a continuous cycle of creation and destruction by Abbadon's hand, with I as his Archangel. It will be – how should I put it? Immortal.'

Jack realised what was going to happen only a nanosecond before it did; he bolted for the door but it was too late. His small legs weren't fast enough and he was swept up squirming and snapping into Bilis Manger's arms as a syringe was revealed from the inside of the old man's blazer. After a lethal injection of anaesthetic straight into the heart, Jack remained still and limp. A hauntingly cruel smile appeared upon his captor's face as they vanished into the darkness.

**Reviewers are secretly Torchwood agents, therefore I love you! MC. x**


	9. At The Hart Of Scrap Mountain

**You've got a double treat tonight with chapter 9 as well as 8 - call it an apology present. Personally I prefer this one out of the two, but that's possibly due to a significant lack of Gwen. Read and review, my darlings. x**

**DISCLAIMER: There is a lot of dispute about who owns Jack around, but for me it's Ianto. Not Gwen, not John, not Alonso, but Ianto. therefore he indirectly owns Torchwood. x**

Chapter 9: At the Hart of Scrap Mountain

Ianto stumbled and staggered among the vast array of debris which made up what he had dubbed 'Romford Mountain'. Bike wheels, brick rubble, and _what the hell was that_; Ianto had to negotiate all of these before he reached the summit, his adrenal glands working overtime every step of the way. He had no idea who or what he would find here, but a finely honed Torchwood instinct told Ianto that there was something extremely significant. When he reached the top, however, he saw nothing on the other side.

'Hold it right there, EyeCandy.'

The cold, cruel, although slightly sexual words of John Hart reached his ears and Ianto once again felt the hard butt of a gun pressed against his head. This really wasn't going to be easy. He froze, hands above his head, and attempted to remain still; he failed. Ianto lost his footing as a small piece of slate moved beneath him and he tumbled forwards to the bottom of the scrapheap, ripping the crotch of his suit-trousers on the way down. Ianto's gun spun out of his hand. Hart laughed and picked it up.

'Tell me Ianto; are all the Welsh this horny? Or is it just Torchwood?'

Ianto took in the sickeningly arrogant persona that towered over him with disgust; red military jacket (stolen), katana (stolen), concealed and exposed weapons (stolen), rank (according to Jack, fake), and name (God only knows where that came from, poor sod). What bubbled up inside of him was a confused mixture of downright fear and lividity. Staggering to his feet, Ianto's response came through gritted teeth.

'What the _hell_ do you want?' Ianto spat, 'Why are you working with Bilis Manger?'

'Oh, calm down EyeCandy! I'm getting déjà vu here.' Hart's voice was light and flirtatious, before suddenly darkening as if his mental bulb had blown. 'And I think you are familiar with the expression, 'mine enemy's enemy is my friend'.'

Ianto was taken aback. He could guess where this was going, and didn't like it one bit.

'Jack was starting to trust you.' He replied tersely. 'Why would you blow that chance?'

Hart shrugged, nonchalant as ever yet still holding his aim. 'I need money. I want Jack to come to his senses. This arrangement gives me both.' He paused, musing. 'The other musketeer should be dealt with by now.'

'What have you done with them?' Ianto was alarmed, something which was evident in his voice.

'Relax, my associate just wants some time alone with my Jack before I can have him. Trust me; you have a lot more to worry about. We need to talk.' The words were silky, yet the threat was dominant.

'You swore that you'd changed! Money is the excuse for last time. What do you really gain by this?' He could worry about Jack later; curiosity and the need for information prevailed.

'Tigers and stripes. They never change EyeCandy.'

Ianto kept his eye on the guns pointing at his head, only too aware that the most volatile human being he knew was in control of them. He pressed the matter further; what little knowledge that he possessed on John Hart told him that he loved the sound of his own voice. That and the fact that John Hart was essentially a man-whore.

'So, why Angelus Nigra? It's a little extreme. Or isn't this your plan?' Aha! Ianto thought as Hart shifted slightly, he'd found a chink in the armour. 'Aren't you in control?'

'The deal is a result of circumstance, EyeCandy. Nothing more.' Hart answered curtly before continuing. 'We both needed to get Jack's attention somehow for very different reasons; Dark Angel was Manger's input, and I don't care what he does with it. I just threw an adorable creature into the mix and got to be the fabulous poster boy.' He indicated a bulge in his pocket, which was presumably the shilotransducer. 'Anyway, I don't want to talk about some grand scheme that your tiny brain couldn't possibly contemplate. Let's talk about you.'

'Me?' Ianto tensed. He knew that this was a distraction, but it was also the conversation of his nightmares; every reason for Ianto's doubts about his and Jack's relationship was embodied in this predator of a man. Hart had noted Ianto's reaction.

'Yes, Ianto Jones, you. You see, I collided with this cult off the coast of Mexico and the leader told me all of your dirty little secrets, EyeCandy. Your insecurities. Your CyberFreak in the basement. Your betrayals of _my_ Jack. Something had to be done to save Jack from this, and Manger thought likewise, along with some stuff on the side which I just ignored. So I gained a partner in crime – oh, I like that!' Hart stepped forward, invading every inch of Ianto's personal space, though Ianto refused to back down. When he spoke again, every letter was more dangerous than the last; the echo of a deranged mind. 'You don't deserve him EyeCandy. He belongs with me.' Hart breathed cruelly, 'You are a miserable excuse for a human being from a planet that is not even worthy of existence, no matter how cute you look.' He clicked the safety off of the automatics with satisfaction. 'So why wait for paradoxical destruction? I'll just kill you now.'

Ianto took a sharp breath in; if he was going to be murdered in some godforsaken scrap of land, then this was his last chance. Spurred on by Jack's words in the Hub, Ianto smirked with enough conviction and confidence in his body language, mirroring Hart's every movement. Ianto would make him feel as uncomfortable as possible in these last moments.

'Well, 'John Hart', if I'm so bad what does that make _you_? Consider all the complete and utter _shit_ that you have given Jack over the years and then you can judge me. You made him visit his past once didn't you? He still has nightmares, when he lets himself sleep. How many of his other lovers have you killed, just because you were jealous? I'd say a fair few. And then you buried him alive, didn't you? Was that out of love, or just to save your own skin? Jack and I have something that is actually quite amazing. You have a cold, lonely cell in hell. Neither of us deserves him, but at least I_ have him_.' That should do the trick.

'You don't know Jack, EyeCandy! You never will, but I do. Fuck you, Ianto Jones!' Hart dropped one of the guns and drew back his fist, hitting Ianto squarely in the jaw with a crack; drawing blood and causing Ianto to yelp in pain, his hand springing to his mouth. When Ianto removed his hand, his face was covered in blood but he was still smiling.

'I'm sure you'd like to, but first things first. I believe murder was on the agenda.' Ianto replied smoothly. 'Do I get any last requests?'

Before Hart could react, Ianto leaned in forward and kissed him full and forcefully in the mouth. Hart's response was natural for a man of his disposition; prolonging the kiss whilst fumbling for Ianto's belt, delving for the contents within in lustful pleasure. Suddenly, Hart's whole body jerked and stiffened, and Ianto managed to pull away as paralysis took hold. As he removed the hand from his trousers, he explained, while Hart collapsed onto the pile of waste behind him.

'Paralysing lip gloss. You remember? Used it on Gwen? Thought so.' Ianto knew he shouldn't feel elated, but he didn't feel the least bit guilty. 'You weren't the only one that Jack taught that trick to, except this was in self defence, so it's not cheating on anyone, and mine is only temporary. Because, frankly, even with my faults I will never be as sick, twisted, and desperate as you are.' Ianto rifled through Hart's pockets, grabbing the translucent silver orb of shilotransducer, and turned away, calling over his shoulder. 'I would apologise normally, but you have given Jack and I far too much crap for that, so we'll just leave it here.'

Without another word, Ianto ran off in the direction of the nearest warehouse to find Jack, leaving the inert form of John Hart in a crumpled, inert heap behind him.

**Author's Note: I know this is slightly out of character, but in my opinion it suits the situation and Ianto does have a darker side anyway. Don't hate me! :) x**

**Review and spread the Jantoness! MC. x**


	10. Dilemma

**Heya peoples! So sorry I left you hanging last time but I had a teensy weensy bit of writers block that could only be solved by excessive vampire movies and rereading Harry Potter 7. Thats gone now so I wrote Chapter 10 when I was supposed to be working. I can't really post the last couple of chapters though for at least a week because I'm heading down to...[drum roll]...CARDIFF! Again! How awesome is that? Any ideas what I can put on Ianto's shrine this time? Read, review, and love you! x**

**DISCLAIMER: Ok, now RTD is _definately_ not allowed to own Torchwood. In an interview about Series 4 he said, and I quote, _'If your friend had suffered through a terrible time, you don't want to be the friend who sits there and says, "Tell us about your terrible time, all over again." Move on, look up, start a new relationship, and look towards the horizon and the dawn. There will be a lot of that with Jack as well.'_. That's like basically saying that Jack never had feelings for Ianto - no one moves on after something like CoE that fast! I mean, I know we don't want Jack to be miserable all the time, but I need a Janto reference at least! RTD you're a bitch - Jack owns Torchwood, you don't, end of. Rant over. x**

Chapter 10: Dilemma 

The tingling sensation; his body's reset button had been activated. Blind in the darkness, this was the twilight period before the afterlife took Jack by the scruff of the neck and kicked him out. It was before the memories rushed back in, reclaiming their territory in the scarred battlefield of Jack's mind, just before he could feel. It could almost be described as bliss. But something was wrong.

Lurching forward as his heart was thrust back into life, Jack's eyes snapped open as he remembered. He'd come back as usual, that was for certain, although all he could see was red and pulsing. He tried to move but couldn't. He tried to speak; a primal howl lost within the growl of a machine. Then pain returned in agonising measures and Jack was aware of thousand of tiny needles beneath his skin and fur; he couldn't even writhe against it. Every instinct, both human and animal, told him to do the impossible: to run or to die. Jack was beyond trapped, and he thought that he knew where.

A blurred shape crossed into his line of vision; even distorted, the leer which dominated Bilis Manger's features was clear.

'Ah, Captain. I see that you are revived, although that can be dealt with presently. I trust that you are not inconvenienced?' His crisp, icy tone spoke volumes of the madness within.

Jack desperately tried to answer, and experienced a violent electrical shock for his troubles, the pressure of his brain against the skull tripling as it coursed through his body. He tried again to receive the same results, his head feeling as though it could explode at any second. Telepathy was not an option and Jack felt weak. Bilis laughed mercilessly.

'What was that? No answer? My, you are rude! Not that I care in the slightest about yourself; it just seemed polite to enquire. I would not count upon a rescue; Ms Cooper is currently residing elsewhere for the feast and Mr Jones is dead. As you have no doubt discovered, escape is not an option.'

Jack felt a pang of emotion. Ianto wasn't dead; he couldn't be dead. Jack couldn't lose him now, when so many things were unsaid. And Gwen; she should be a home with Rhys, like a normal couple. Jack had ruined their lives from the moment they had met. He would not let them die like the others; he would feel it if they had. No, they were not allowed to leave him. Jack vaguely registered Bilis' ramblings continuing.

'…I understand that you are extremely familiar with the Vortex? You are encased in a time capsule inside it to be held in stasis for all eternity, as my Lord reigns. No speech, no movement; a cycle of life and death as sacrifice and penance for Abbadon. Welcome to the paradox, Captain Jack Harkness.' Bilis then promptly disappeared, leaving Jack alone in the heart of the machine, although his voice echoed back, ringing in Jack's ears. 'Welcome to hell.'

Seconds later, Jack saw the raw energy of the paradox cascading towards him, its impact far more deadly than any bullet and his fate from now on. With a mournful yelp, Jack was plunged into the darkness once more.

TW

Ianto burst into the warehouse, his heart racing. After doing the same to the three previous buildings and several failed attempts to locate Gwen's comms, he was worried. The SUV had remained parked in the middle of the site, but there was still no sign of a leather clad woman or a bouncy little puppy; what the hell had happened to them? He had realised that all hopes of getting to them before Bilis did were dashed, because Ianto was not supposed to survive his encounter with Hart. They had been ambushed, and Ianto's panic increased with every notion of what might have happened to the others. Could Jack really survive in the state he was in? If he couldn't, Gwen was Jack's only hope – but what if she fell first? What was Bilis planning that Hart hadn't told him? Moreover, did Hart even know? Were Jack and Gwen in more danger than he had anticipated? Their situation appeared even direr with every passing thought.

He ran through darkened and dank corridors; the only sounds his heavy footsteps and even heavier breathing. It was far too quiet in here, but Ianto's gut instinct told him that all was not what it seemed; this warehouse seemed different to the others. He turned a corner and hit a dead end, turning back in exasperation to run into the darkness of another turning that he knew was there. But it wasn't. It had completely vanished. From the little details that Jack had been willing to discuss about paradoxes with him, Ianto knew that they changed anything from corridors to critical events. There was a sickening feeling in Ianto's stomach as he realised that the Dark Angel was rising; AN was live and in this building. Ianto looked over his shoulder as he sensed something shift behind him, apprehensive of what he might find. A long corridor had appeared behind him and at the end of it he saw a human form sprawled across the floor.

'Gwen!'

He sprinted, the corridor lengthening with every stride so that it seemed that Ianto would never reach her, but he resisted the urge to give up; for all Gwen's faults, she was his friend and he couldn't leave her when something was so obviously wrong. After what seemed to be an eternity, Ianto skidded to a halt beside her and crouched down. Her hair was matted with blood and her face pale as she stirred, dazed and confused.

'Ian...Ianto?' Gwen stammered, struggling to sit up. Ianto grabbed her shoulders to support her.

'What happened?' The urgency in his voice was unmistakeable. 'Where's Jack?'

'I dunno. He ran ahead – I thought he'd found something so I tried to follow. Then there was nothing.' Gwen sounded pitiful as the realisation dawned upon her. 'Bilis.' She whispered. 'Bilis got me. He came from the shadows and attacked me.' She turned away, refusing to look Ianto in the eyes. 'He took Jack.'

'Shit.' Ianto was filled with dread; whenever someone captured his lover Ianto was always driven to the edge. If Jack had been compromised there was usually an extremely deadly reason behind it. That and the fact that whenever Jack died or was hurt, Ianto hurt too; it was the fear that Jack wouldn't come back. He noticed that Gwen was trying to stand, staggering and falling back as she did so.

'Ianto, we've got to find him!' She was feeling guilty; it was her fault that Bilis had got to Jack, whatever he had wanted. Gwen needed to find them, as much for her own sake as well as Jack's.

Ianto, meanwhile, was forced to think about the situation logically, determination etched upon his face. 'No Gwen. _I'll_ find Jack. _You _stay back at the SUV.' He raised a hand as her mouth opened to protest. 'You can't fight like this and I've already dealt with Hart so it will be just me and Jack against Bilis. Besides, I might need backup later and you can monitor my movements better from the car.'

Gwen nodded. She didn't like being absent from the field and hated to admit that Ianto was right, but she tasted vomit in her mouth and had to agree.

'Ok then.' Ianto said briskly, 'Let's get you back to the SUV.' He hauled Gwen to her feet and they headed to try and find the exit.

TW

John Hart roused with a mouth full of Earth as his movements returned to him, choking and spluttering. He had spent a wasted hour of dark at the bottom of this pile of shit, one which he could have devoted to the simple pleasures of murder and fucking. How dare EyeCandy do this to him! It was an outrage to be outsmarted by a cute simpleton, no matter how good a kisser he might be. Time for John to make Jack come to his senses and claim his prize, he thought. From what EyeCandy had said to him earlier, John wouldn't need to kill him; just take Jack away and EyeCandy would do the job himself. Ah, well, he mused, you couldn't have everything.

As the feeling in his legs came back to him, he stood up. Time to find Mad Old Manger; he should be ready to hand Jack over about now, and then Manger could fuck off to his cultish desires for all John cared; not that he knew what they were, it was just convenient to have a partner for once. Although John did wonder if Manger would give him an oral reward for his part, so to speak, and why the hell there were so many probes in the heart of the paradox. Just out of curiosity.

He swaggered off to the Angelus Nigra warehouse with a smirk, kicking up dust. He had kept his half of the bargain. Now it was time collect his Jack and tell Manger where to stick his cult.

TW

Ianto sprinted back into the warehouse. He had left Gwen back at the car with the instructions to come and find them if he didn't return within the hour. It didn't suit him to lead, but he damn well would if it found Jack. He stopped and glanced down as he felt something warm in his pocket. The shilotransducer was golden and pulsing. Ianto had an idea; if the device was connected to Jack, maybe it would lead Ianto to him. Ianto took it out and followed the glow, feeling the shilotransducer get warmer and warmer until he burst into a large room; the device was so hot it nearly scorched his hands, but Ianto barely noticed. At the centre of the room was a console, much like the one Jack had described as being on the TARDIS, except that it emitted blinding bursts of red light and had a darkened shadow in its centre.

Ianto stepped towards it cautiously, and was shocked as the shape became clearer, he ran to the console and pressed his hands against the glass in despair.

'Jack.' Ianto breathed. Jack's body was mostly limp and covered in electrodes; each burst of light was punctuated by pain spreading across Jack's beautiful face, an invisible torture. Ianto couldn't bare it. He looked around for something to smash the glass with, anything that could free his lover. Ianto heard the high staccato of footsteps and froze.

'He will not answer you. That is to say, he cannot.' Bilis Manger's accent echoed from the shadows. 'Greetings, Mr Jones – I see Captain Hart has failed. No matter. I welcome you to my Lord's Resurrection.'

'Let Jack go now or you'll regret it.' Gun drawn and safety off, Ianto's voice was deadly.

'Come now, Mr Jones, a gun cannot harm me. What you request is quite impossible.'

Ianto did not lower his weapon; even if Ianto couldn't shoot Bilis, it made him feel a hell of a lot safer. 'What is that supposed to mean?'

Bilis spoke in a calm manner, one that reminded Ianto of a parent explaining something simple to an awkward child. 'My Lord requires the good Captain to survive. A paradox needs to be maintained.'

'I don't fucking care! Abbadon can stay in hell!' Ianto prepared to smash the glass with the butt of his gun.

'I would not do that if I were you.' The old man moved into view, smiling. 'If I must repeat myself, a paradox must remain under tight control. If Captain Harkness is extracted from its heart, the resultant explosion will destroy all in its path. Your world would end within minutes.'

Ianto looked from Bilis Manger to Jack and back. It was death either way; die in Abbadon's feast, or be wiped out by a global explosion. But at least he could die in Jack's arms with the latter. Ianto had made his decision. With all his strength and love for Jack behind him, he shattered the glass.

**Reviews are like candy - addictive! :) MC. x**


	11. Fatal Reunion

**Ok I know I said a week and its been, like, three but I had really really nasty writers block for anything Torchwood related - I blame watching the new Harry Potter twice and not enough Torchwood. I've just come out of that phase, so I apologise if this seems like a very bad last chapter (minus epilogue), but here it is anyway. Cardiff was awesome by the way, for those of you that are interested. Read and review please, even if you hate it. x**

**DISCLAIMER: I claim nothing. I only know that Gwen Cooper and RTD own nothing, and that Janto is beautiful. This means that the boys own the entire Universe. x**

Fatal Reunion

The ground shook beneath John Hart's feet and he stumbled. Cursing profusely, he realised that Manger had started things up without him. Not that John cared; it just would have been easier to be in the Vortex when it happened. Not to mention safer. He smirked – self preservation was his middle name, and he didn't give a fuck about what anyone else thought of it. John would have to sever their arrangement pretty quickly if he wanted to escape the hangover from the aftershocks. On a whim, he pulled back his sleeve and hit the teleport function on his wrist strap. Oh, he loved to make an entrance!

With a blinding white light he touched solid ground. As the dancing spots cleared from his eyes, a really strange scene was revealed. Yeah, Hart was cool with the paradox machine shooting out like a bitch all over the place; temporal destruction was something that he was familiar with, even enjoyed, but this was uncontained. No, was really was _weird_ was the way that EyeCandy seemed to be protecting it from Manger, gun and all. Hart could see the mixture of fear and horror that filled Jones' eyes, which apparently had nothing to do with the collapse of reality. Then John looked past EyeCandy and saw why. Manger had double-crossed him; swore that Jack's immortality would be left out of it. Instead Jack was chained in the heart of the fucking paradox like one of those primitive batteries they used in this century. John was fuming – screw Jack, he was more taking him out of revenge than of love anyway – nobody fucked around with Captain John Hart, not if they knew what was good for them! And he would show Manger why. John strode forward; it was time to make his presence known.

'What the fuck have you done, you decrepit old twat?'

Manger spun around, his eyes crazed and jet-black, a poor attempt at power. John was seething venom. He didn't care who this guy was hooked up with, because the one thing that Murder Rehab had taught John Hart was that pain was still pain, and pain was fun to cause. This guy had it coming to him.

Vaguely, blood thundering through his brain, John registered the sound of shattering glass. The screams that followed were almost unbearable to hear.

TW

Jack revived for what seemed like the millionth time in an hour, beginning to resent it a little. At least when he was dead it didn't hurt. At least when he was dead, he couldn't realise how much danger his very existence was causing right now. At least death was merciful.

More out of habit than really caring or needing to, Jack checked if everything was still there. His surroundings hadn't changed; not that the colour red could change much. He was still a dog and, even in the unlikely event of rescue, his chances of returning to human form were slim. He whined slightly, the expression sending yet another jolt of agony through him. But he could hear voices, and not just Manger's eloquence that he had become so used to. This one was lower, huskier, and Welsh. Ianto was alive and outside! Jack felt a pang when he realised who the other voice was. Ianto was apparently facing Bilis and John alone. Jack couldn't see much but, with John's fondness for torture, he would surely hear Ianto die. Not this time. Jack began to struggle in earnest; the world would have to go up in flames before they would have Ianto!

A crack spread through the swirl of red light and Jack's prison shattered. He heard ear-splitting cries as a hand punched through; the raw paradox energy pouncing on it like a wolf to its prey. Yet it still persevered, wrenching the probes out from beneath Jack's flesh and freeing him from his prison. Then, all of a sudden, the red disappeared. Jack could breathe and move again. He lifted his head weakly to view his saviour, gazing into Ianto's eyes before passing out.

TW

Breathing heavily and covered in his own blood, Ianto glanced down at the life form in his lap; Jack was alive but still not human, unconscious from the impact of AN. Ianto heard the sounds of a struggle and looked up again. Hart had Bilis by the throat; slamming him against the wall with such force that Ianto could hear the shattering of bones beneath the list of reasons why the old man shouldn't mess with John Hart. They were far too busy to notice anyone. Ianto felt Jack stir, so he set him on the ground. The puppy struggled to his feet and gave Ianto the equivalent of a weak Harkness smile.

'Well, this is new.' Ianto smirked back. 'The last time I checked, you said you didn't do the whole damsel-in-distress thing.' Jack just looked desperately back up at him with a slight whine. Ianto raised an eyebrow. 'Come on Jack, now isn't the time for you to_ sulk_ like a princess!'

Ianto still heard nothing, but Jack was screaming inside. _I'm not sulking! Telepathy no longer works! If we don't get the shilotransducer I'll be stuck like this forever – or as long as the world's in tact. Ianto hear my voice, please!_

Then something occurred to Ianto, largely due to the heat searing through his pocket. He reached in, swore, and grabbed the shilotransducer. It was now white hot, lighting the pair of them up like a Christmas tree. So close to Jack, it burned to Ianto's touch. Wincing slightly, he smiled.

'I got you a present. The shilotransducer right?'

Jack barked happily; _finally!_ He could always rely on Ianto. However, as Ianto made to give the device to Jack, the ground jolted beneath them. The shilotransducer shot out of Ianto's hand and out of sight, between the flames that were now erupting from Angelus Nigra; sucking their reality in whilst spewing all hell out. Jack sprang to his feet and followed, springing forward between the bursts of fire until Ianto could no longer see his lover. Ianto smiled in spite of himself; it reminded him of Jack's earlier adventure in the Archives, except now he really was chasing after a bloody ball.

'Oi, Jack! Go fetch!' Ianto called out, laughing. Then he remembered where he was and stopped. The paradox had caused the ground to crack open, the vortex spreading with it, and something flinted into the corner of Ianto's line of vision. He turned to see what it was and watched in horror as Hart tortured Manger, who by now was on the floor; bruised and bloodied. Ianto moved to step in; as much as he hated Manger, no one deserved to be treated like that. He drew both his gun and paralysing lip-gloss. He sighed. Hart never ever listened; he couldn't get away with something like this.

Without warning, the paradox machine exploded, forcing Ianto to the floor. He could just see the outline of the two men, but it was clear what Hart's intentions were. Ianto cried out, but it was too late; Bilis Manger was thrust, choking, into the full might of the paradox. Ianto watched helplessly as Bilis writhed and screamed; being pulled apart into mere atoms, and then from atoms to microscopic dust, vanishing before Ianto's eyes. Abbadon had been reunited with his servant at last.

Hart then turned on Ianto, the gleam of a fresh kill still in his eyes, sensing fear. Then Hart collapsed, his eyes rolling comically backwards. When he fell, Jack was revealed – stark naked and proud of it – to be behind him, crowbar in hand and entirely human. When he spoke, flashing the full ten thousand kilowatt grin that Ianto was so accustomed to, the sheer sound of Jack's accent warmed Ianto's heart (not mention other areas). He had forgotten just how damn attractive his lover was. Jack's tone was also playfully indignant.

'What do you mean '_fetch'_?'

Ianto laughed with relief. Amidst all the shit and chaos, Captain Jack Harkness was definitely back.

**Come on, we're nearly done for this one! Review until the end! :) MC. x**


	12. Epilogue

**Here's a little bit extra for anyone who cares about a happy ending. After this, in the words of the brilliant Gerard Way, it's 'so long and goodnight' for this fic. Thanks for all your support and comments, especially to those who were with me from the beginning. I'll be back with a big fic soon! Read and review overall! x**

**DISCLAIMER: The boys are too hot to be owned by anyone except each other, which is kinda sad really because they should be shared. Even though Jack would probably 'share' himself anyway. x**

Epilogue

Ianto heard Jack's footsteps echoing across the metal gangway and looked up from his work; the usual modifying news reports and altering existences which followed the near catastrophes of his job. Snatching a glance over his shoulder, he could see that Jack was drained from his ordeal, even at a distance. Apparently slow or frequent deaths made the most drawn out recoveries. Ianto called out.

'Did you deal with Hart?'

Jack's reply was nonchalant. 'Yeah. Retconned into oblivion and dumped on a cargo ship to Tahiti.'

'Are you sure that's enough?' To Ianto it sounded like a stag night, which was far too pleasant for a murderer of any kind.

'Well the backfire from the explosion shorted his Manipulator, so the teleport is out for now. I gave him enough Retcon though; he shouldn't bother us for at least a year and will have a very intrusive hangover. Mind you, he's had worse when we were posted on Orion 4. Hypervodka drinking match – that was fun and I won of course. You'd like Orion 4; beautiful boys, girls, in betweens, and I'm told that I do an amazing pole dance when I've had a few hypervodkas….' As Jack grew nearer, he tailed off in deep thought, dropping the bravado and letting his guard down.

'And Bilis?' Ianto was cautious; he felt that the subject should be tabooed, yet he had to ask.

'Completely gone.'

'Ah.' Ianto wouldn't wish death upon anyone, but their universe was a damn sight safer in Bilis Manger's absence. He sighed deeply.

'I've missed you.' Jack sidled up behind Ianto, snaking his arms around his lover's waist; pulling Ianto close and craving his touch. After all that had happened, they had managed to stay together and stay strong; a fairytale ending only muted by Jack's sex drive. Ianto was Jack's hero for tonight, and Jack had every intention of showing his gratitude.

'Really?' Ianto smirked. 'Or have you missed this?' He wriggled round in Jack's pheromone enhanced prison, gazing into the eyes of his captor, ghosting the perfectly formed lips before pulling Jack into an intense kiss. Jack's response surpassed enthusiasm; a culmination of lust and love entwined.

'Mmm!' Jack moaned, feeling himself harden, not breaking away. Not ever wanting to break away. The Hub was quiet. He'd sent Gwen home to rest with Rhys, so there was no risk of being discovered. He ached all over from AN, but Jack didn't care. He and Ianto were alone. They could lose themselves in each other. Jack's hands crept down to below Ianto's hips, pinching the Welshman's arse before sinking to his knees, eying Ianto's fly with greedy passion.

'I've missed this too.' Jack whispered softly. To Jack's surprise, Ianto stepped out of the ring of Jack's arms and moved away. When Ianto spoke, his voice was agonisingly too seductive for a man who had gone without sex for almost three days. Especially if that man was Jack Harkness.

'Oh, I bet you have. And you will for a bit longer.' Ianto was deadpan.

'What?' Jack looked up and gasped in horror. It was almost a whimper.

'I meant what I said in the car.' Ianto continued. 'I keep my promises. You've got an SUV to mend and clean.'

'Ianto!' Ok, now Jack really was begging; he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Ianto had to be joking.

'Also, you wrecked the Archives, so you're tiding those up to, and properly – yes that is a lot of filing, Jack, and no I will not help you. Then you can deal with that dump you made of your office before the rest of the Hub, the weevil, and the body that's been in the morgue for the past month. Oh, and the dinosaur needs feeding as well. Then we'll see.' Ianto walked away, leaving Jack hanging open mouthed on the floor. Ianto allowed himself a smile; it was fun to have Jack wrapped around his little finger. It meant that things really were back to normal. Well, as normal as Ianto Jones' life would allow. And that was all that mattered.

_Fin_

**Review if you want more fics! Now that's bribery. :) MC. x**


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